Haiti fundraiser in Taunton rescheduled after hitting approval glitch

A local fundraiser for a facility in Haiti that helps sick and homeless children was derailed last week, after organizers learned that using public property can be a somewhat complicated process.

Organizer Justin Evans said he assumed an Aug. 14 letter from the city’s Conservation Commission, granting approval to utilize Weir Riverfront Park on Saturday, Aug. 25 — as well as confirmation from Taunton’s parks department that the grounds were available that day — was all he needed.

Charles Winokoor

A local fundraiser for a facility in Haiti that helps sick and homeless children was derailed last week, after organizers learned that using public property can be a somewhat complicated process.

Organizer Justin Evans said he assumed an Aug. 14 letter from the city’s Conservation Commission, granting approval to utilize Weir Riverfront Park on Saturday, Aug. 25 — as well as confirmation from Taunton’s parks department that the grounds were available that day — was all he needed.

The 30-year-old Evans, who describes himself as co-owner of a local indie record label called HMG, says he and his two partners didn’t find out until the Thursday before the event that there’s a lot more to securing the Weir Village park than a simple ConCom letter.

“We promoted it for over a month, and then we find out we need to get a health permit, pay for police detail, electricity and insurance and bring it before City Council,” said a disappointed Evans, who noted the next council meeting would have been held after the fact.

“We never would have done this if we knew it was so expensive,” he added.

The event, he said, would have featured a performance by the label’s premier hip hop artist, East Coast Cally, clown performers and pizza provided by Papa John’s and Papa Gino’s.

Admission, he said, would have been free with same-day donations benefiting New Life Children’s Home — a secure medical and housing facility in Haiti that for more than 30 years has catered to as many as 130 children at any given time.

Both Michele Restino, the city’s conservation agent, and Marilyn Greene, director of Taunton’s department of Parks, Cemeteries and Public Grounds, said they’re sympathetic to Evans and his partners.

But they also point out the aspiring organizers waited until nearly the last minute to provide details of their fundraiser.

“He didn’t clarify what they had planned,” said Greene, referring to an initial application form subsequently referred to Restino’s office.

“He never told me there would be music and food,” Greene said.

Standard procedure, she notes, requires that any applicant for such an event attain a temporary permit from the city’s health board, agree to a minimum four-hour agreement with her department to provide electricity, and that they contact police to hire at least one detail officer.

Greene stressed the only thing she confirmed to Evans was that the “date was open” to use the riverfront park that day.

She also said the promoters would need an insurance binder to exempt the city from liability and a permit from the city to stage a public exhibition.

Restino said she’s not certain that the latter permit requires City Council approval.

Because of what happened to Evans and his partners, Restino said she quickly revised her commission’s online application form for utilization of either Boyden Refuge or Weir Riverfront Park.

“It’s gone from one to six pages and includes everything — it’s very detailed and specific now,” she said.

Restino said this is the first time in her more than seven years as conservation agent that she has run across this kind of predicament, and she says she wants to make certain no one else is ever again less than fully informed.

Evans, meanwhile, says he and his partners are optimistic about scheduling an October fundraiser on the grounds of the Portuguese American Civic Club on School Street.